KARACHI: Chairman Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) Muhammad Mehr Ali has invited immediate attention of the government to the core issues of this sector to save it from further declining. He said the exports of this sector have already dropped alarmingly.

PTA Chairman along with senior members of PTA invited attention of Federal Commerce Minister to resolve the core issues on priority basis for providing a level playing field to this value-added industry of the country.

He asked removal of irrational condition of Health Quarantine Certificate at the time of export of finished leather duly valued.

He asked removal of irrational 2% ACD on import of cow & buffalo raw hides & skins against H.S. Code # 4104.1100 & 4107.9200, which is not included in 5th schedule while rest of allied sheep & goat wet blue leather is exempted for the import already in 5th schedule. It is purely anomaly for rectification as admitted during LEPC meeting, he said.

PTA asked finalising the duty drawback rates for finished leather which is still pending @ IOCO despite lapse of long time. It also demanded release of pending rebate claims, sales tax refund & income tax claims, especially to entertain deferred sales tax claims of the leather industry approximately to the tune of Rs.2.17 billion. He asked to restore concessional tariff of electricity & gas to export-oriented industries including leather sector of Pakistan.

Mehr Ali feared further declining of leather sector exports if no steps are taken to resolve these core issues.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024